Effects of Zero Gravity

With all the buzz about the spectacular Chandrayaan-3 moon landing, we can’t help but discuss the effects of space on the human body. Every one of us has wanted to become an astronaut at some point in our lives. Little did we know all the glory, publicity and money came with dire consequences to our overall well being.

It's no secret that gravity is much weaker in space than it is on Earth. As a result, many people experience "space sickness" symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting. We have a small organ located deep in the ear, called the vestibular organ, that plays an important role in keeping the body in balance. This organ converts information about gravity and acceleration experienced by the body into electrical signals and sends them to the brain. Due to the low gravity of space, the information received from the vestibular organs changes, and it is thought that it can mess with the brain, leading to space sickness. Although, if you stay in space for a few days, your brain will slowly but surely adjust to how it interprets vestibular information. However, upon the return to Earth you feel the effects of Earth's gravity again and so sometimes, "gravity sickness" presents with symptoms similar to space sickness.

Astronauts are exposed to higher levels of radiation during space travel; this exposure can have short- and long-term health consequences, depending on the total amount of radiation experienced by astronauts and the length of the exposure. This results in an increased risk of developing cancer and degenerative diseases, such as heart disease and cataracts..

This long list of side effects are not limited to the physical body. Astronauts develop stress before they even realize it as they have to live and work in tight spaces with other astronauts for several months dealing with various issues such as language barriers and cultural differences.

The most shocking part about all this is that these are just a few of the many side effects that take hold of the human body when in space. Still want to be an astronaut?

Written by Elizza Miriam Mathew